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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Google+ Hangouts a Boon to Photographers

Since the inception of social media, photographers have been using them
with varying levels of success. Photographers of high repute have had no
difficulty maintaining their notoriety, while numerous
previously-unknown photographers have vaulted themselves high into the
webosphere by successfully manning social media.

For the better part of a year, I have been a Google+ user. I have uploaded photos and posted links to my blog, mostly with the feeling that I was sending them off into the great void that the interwebs can be, occasionally receiving a +1 or comment, but more often than not, just emptiness. Until recently.

Google+ is still evolving, working to take what form and place it eventually will. Recently, the Google+ programmers have implemented a feature called "Hangouts," in which users can start and curate hangouts on any theme of topic, and to which anyone aware of its existence can contribute. Such themes are made more easily discoverable with the Trending indicator on user's Stream page. To contribute, a user must only upload a photograph, then tag it with either a "#" or "+" whichever is appropriate. Etiquette often purports that users employing the Hangout should drop the Curator's name in the text portion of the post, thus crediting them for taking the time and effort to initiate the Hangout.

Among those to effectively implement the Hangouts feature are photographers, creating an avenue of discourse and interaction among those of like interests. This allows less notorious photographers a manner in which they can get work discovered and judged on the merits of that singular photograph, rather than the recognition of his name. Some of my favorites so far are +Macro Monday (top right), +Tree Tuesday (left), and +Sacred Sunday.

Whatever your interest, you can likely find a niche, but if not you can certainly start your own Hangout, because there are probably other like-minded photographers.